There are an estimated 33.8 million trucks in the United States servicing the $700 billion a year trucking industry. Pundits predict nothing but good news for the transportation sector for the foreseeable future. That spells good news for the areas supporting the gigantic industry, including the truck repair shops.
With the right set of tools and equipment such as Baileigh pipe bending equipment and machine, you can get a bigger slice of pie. Such devices bolster your capacity to fabricate and create custom replacement parts for the magnificent machines.
It’s one of the most efficient ways to increase efficiency at your shop and improve customer experience.
Embrace VMRS Codes
Short for Vehicle Maintenance Reporting Standards Codes is a standard coding system developed by the American Trucking Association in 1970. Since they provide a universal language, these codes can help you technicians communicate, report, and capture maintenance activities.
They describe causes, components, operating systems, type of work, equipment, and any other maintenance need of trucks and other heavy equipment. Using these codes in your shop eliminates the needs to generate long reports as technicians can just check off codes when a truck comes in for repairs.
That eliminates miscommunications among your technicians and reduces errors. It also means that you can get repairs done much quicker, much to the delight of your customers. Coupling the labor guidelines with VMRS-coded repairs enables you to assess the productivity of your technicians and keep an efficient work schedule.
It means that you can affix accurate timelines when a truck comes in for repairs. Truckers would appreciate your ability to promise a hard deadline and live up to it as it helps them to plan repairs and maintenance schedules.
Keeps your techs certified and trained
In such a highly competitive environment, you can’t afford to turn away customers because you can’t meet their needs. That is what will happen if you staff your shop with unskilled and uncertified technicians. Vehicle technology is continually evolving, and you must keep up with it.
Unsurprisingly, training and certifications affect your shop’s productivity. Certified technicians are up to 19% more productive than the uncertified ones, concluded a study by the National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence.
Certification is a measure of knowledge; that’s why most professions insist on them. Every so often, you must demonstrate that you’re keeping up with emerging technology. Filling your ranks with competent workers increases your shop’s efficiency while offering insights into the capabilities of your technicians.
It allows you to determine their training needs and act accordingly. There’s a world of difference between the current trucks and the older ones, so you must possess the necessary skills to fix them.
The trucking sector is on an upward swing, and you can ride the tailcoats of its success and grow your repair shop. Truckers can’t afford to have their trucks out of commission for long lest they incur massive losses.
Given the high stakes and tight timelines in the sector, you must bring your A-game to win truckers over. You must bolster your ability to fabricate custom replacement pieces and improve your turnaround times.
